Powhatan High School was thrilled to celebrate an additional group of graduates joining the school’s Class of 2024 as part of the annual Summer Graduation Ceremony held on Wednesday, July 17. The high school offers a summer graduation ceremony to recognize those students who need a little longer to complete their graduation requirements or who are using the opportunity to complete their studies ahead of schedule. Whatever their reasons, we were proud to see all of these young adults cross the stage to accept their diplomas and turn the page to the next chapter of their lives. Congratulations graduates! #wearepcps #teampowhatan
UPDATE: This post has been updated to reflect that the event has moved locations to Powhatan County Public Library because of the heat. The food trucks will still be there.
The Powhatan Summer Reading Program continues! Join us for Nature Quest at Powhatan County Public Library on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Participate in a guided hike and learn about insects, amphibians, and reptiles. There is free parking for the event. TBT EL Gallo taco truck and Kona Ice will be there! Come hungry!!
Powhatan County Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5. PCPS staff members wish all of our families a safe and Happy Fourth of July.
Summer Break Check!☀️
Share a 📸 photo in the comments of how your family is enjoying the break so far!
#wearepcps #teampowhatan
The Chesterfield Health District is easing the burden on parents to get their children’s state-required immunizations by hosting three clinics for Chesterfield and Powhatan County Public School 7th and 12th grade students. Two clinics are scheduled for L.C. Bird High School, at 10301 Courthouse Road in Chesterfield, Monday, July 1 and Thursday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The third clinic is scheduled for Matoaca High School, at 17700 Longhouse Lane in Chesterfield, Thursday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Making sure students have required immunizations means safer, healthier communities. Families should make sure their child’s immunizations are up to date now to avoid delays when school starts in August.
“Primary care appointments in central Virginia are booking months out,” Chesterfield Health District Nurse Manager LaWanda Dunn said.
The health district is offering these immunizations to Powhatan and Chesterfield students now for those in our most vulnerable communities to make sure everyone can start school on time, she said.
What immunizations are provided?
● 7th grade:
○ Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap)
○ Meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY)
○ Human papillomavirus (HPV)
● 12th grade:
○ Meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY)
Additional Information
• Bring your child’s immunization record and insurance card, if applicable.
• There is no expense to receive immunization; insurance is billed for administration.
• When your child has received these immunizations, provide the records to your school nurse.
Good morning PCPS Community. The Powhatan School Board met on June 18 for its regular monthly meeting. Check out the School Board Recap covering the highlights of this meeting to find out about happenings in your local school system this summer. The link for the newsletter is in the first comment.
Good morning. This is a message only for families of children attending summer school or camps at Pocahontas Elementary School. Elementary summer school and any other school activities located at Pocahontas Elementary will be canceled today, July 1 due to a power outage impacting the building. Classes and camps will resume as normal on Tuesday, July 2. Activities at other schools are not impacted.
Powhatan County Public Schools is hiring! We are looking for interested teachers in the areas of Middle School Computer Technology, Middle School English, Middle School Science, Head Start Teacher, and Special Education (all levels). To learn more about becoming a valued member of our team, contact Human Resources at 804-598-5700 or visit the school division's website.
📚🌞 Ready for a WILD summer adventure? 🦊🌿 Come out to the second Powhatan Summer Reading program event at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25 at Powhatan Middle School, 4135 Old Buckingham Road. This will be an amazing opportunity to learn about local wild animals with AWARE Wildlife. You can also join us for a safari storytime with a craft. All are welcome. #wearepcps #teampowhatan @powhatanlibrary
Happy Juneteenth! Powhatan’s Juneteenth event will be a day of celebration, culture, and history. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 22 at the Pocahontas Landmark Center, 4290 Anderson Highway. It is free and open to all. The day will include craft vendors, food trucks, music, and special performances. There will also be a special exhibit at the Powhatan African American Cultural Arts Museum about The History of Powhatan teachers and educators.
This event is not sponsored by PCPS.
PCPS hires three key leadership roles
POWHATAN, VA – Powhatan County Public Schools is excited to announce the appointment of three exceptional individuals to its division leadership team who bring a wealth of experience to strengthen the division’s capacity to innovate and excel.
In alignment with the division’s Strategic Plan and a recent reorganization of the central office, we are pleased to introduce two newly created roles: Chief Academic Officer and Chief Schools Officer. These redefined positions are designed to enhance our focus on academic achievement and school operations, respectively.
We are confident that Dr. Angela Stewart as Chief Academic Officer and Courtney Jarman as Chief Schools Officer will significantly contribute to the ongoing success of PCPS.
Additionally, we are excited to welcome Scott Mecca as the new Director of Technology, who will lead our efforts to explore and integrate innovative technology across the district that supports our educational goals. All of the positions begin on July 1.
Dr. Stewart is currently serving as an assistant principal at Deep Run High School, but her diverse experience will serve her well in her new position, where she will be responsible for the development, implementation, and supervision of curriculum and instruction that meets or exceeds the requirements of, and is aligned with, the Standards of Learning.
In addition to her administrative experience, Dr. Stewart has served as an educational specialist for professional learning and leadership in Henrico County Public Schools. She also worked for Chesterfield County Public Schools in various roles, serving as a program manager of professional development, project-based learning staff developer, literacy coach, and teacher. She got her start as a teacher in Richmond Public Schools.
Dr. Stewart holds a Master’s Degree in Reading - Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia and her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech.
“I am excited to join PCPS and look forward to working with students, staff, and the community to maximize teaching and learning experiences for all students,” Dr. Stewart said.
Mrs. Jarman is currently serving as the principal of Powhatan Middle School, one of several previous roles that will give her great insight as she becomes responsible for managing the school leadership teams, including the supervision of the division’s schools and school leaders.
Prior to her time at PMS, Mrs. Jarman worked as the associate principal at three middle schools in Henrico and the assistant principal of Manchester Middle School in Chesterfield.
Before her time in administration, she worked in Chesterfield as an instructional consultant for gifted education, a middle school language arts department chair, an honors institute program coordinator, and a language arts teacher. Mrs. Jarman has a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
“Stepping into the role of Chief Schools Officer fills me with anticipation and eagerness to work with and inspire our amazing educators while elevating student learning experiences,” Mrs. Jarman said.
Mr. Mecca comes into his role with PCPS with experience as the director of information technology for school divisions in Edmond, Oklahoma; Gloucester, Virginia; and Torrington, Wyoming. Notably, he served in Gloucester during the pandemic and led the division with no online instructional background to becoming one of the top five Canvas utilizers in Virginia by October of 2020.
All of this expertise will serve Mr. Mecca well as he provides direction, coordination, and leadership in the implementation of core technologies as well as the maintenance of existing systems and related infrastructure used throughout PCPS.
While Mr. Mecca has spent the last 20 years focused on information technology, he also brings an educational perspective. He was an education major at the University of Wyoming and taught secondary physics, chemistry, and astronomy in Wyoming before transitioning to a technology integration specialist and finally his first director of information technology position for a public school district.
“I have been around education and technology all my life. I truly enjoy working with teachers and staff to find innovative technologies to integrate into education to provide students with authentic learning experiences,” Mr. Mecca said. “The appropriate use of technology can greatly assist teachers and help relieve the many tasks they must do.”
He added that being a native of Wyoming and growing up in rural communities much like Powhatan taught him to love and appreciate being in the more family-oriented smaller communities.
Powhatan County Public Schools is hiring! We are looking for interested teachers in the areas of Secondary Art, Secondary Computer Programming, Middle School Art, Middle School Computer Technology, Middle School English, Middle School Math, Middle School Science, and Special Education (secondary). To learn more about becoming a valued member of our team, contact Human Resources at 804-598-5700 or visit the school division's website.
Good afternoon PCPS Community. The Powhatan School Board met on June 4 for a work session focused solely on the Student Rights and Responsibilities. Check out the School Board Recap covering the highlights of this workshop to learn more about this important document, which will be up for consideration by the board at its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 18. Check the first comment for the link to the newsletter.
What an awesome kickoff for the Powhatan Summer Reading Program! Hundreds of people came to Powhatan County Public Library Tuesday night to enjoy the event, which included an excellent performance by Jonathan the Juggler, a free book for every child who registered, and yummy treats on offer from food truck vendors Jiji Frozen Custard and TBT El Gallo. A huge thank you to them for donating a portion of their sales to support the Powhatan Education Foundation and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Didn’t make it out for the kickoff? You can register online at any time or in person during regular library hours. You can also attend all of the fantastic, free summer reading program activities scheduled to continue throughout June and July. #wearepcps #teampowhatan #summerreading
Powhatan Middle School is thrilled to announce its inclusion in the prestigious Varsity Yearbook's Portfolio, Volume 29. This recognition showcases the dedication and talent of the middle school students and staff in producing outstanding yearbooks.
With a total of 612 schools represented, Varsity Yearbook's Portfolio, Volume 29 stands as a testament to the innovation and excellence found within school yearbooks across the nation. From these schools, 1,744 examples were carefully curated, with only 77 books chosen for the coveted Anthology section, including honorable mentions. These selected books represent the pinnacle of achievement in yearbook production.
“As a middle school club, our Portfolio inclusion reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff members at such a young age,” said Mary Melisa Johnson, yearbook advisor.
The chosen yearbooks are characterized by their consistency in both verbal and visual elements, exemplary coverage, and top-notch photography. Portfolio represents the top 1% of books printed by Varsity Yearbook, reflecting the dedication and hard work of each school's yearbook staff.
"We are thrilled to publish the first Portfolio under Varsity Yearbook," said Andrew Checketts, general manager of Varsity Yearbook. "This collection represents the best of the best, and we are honored to showcase the talent and creativity of these students from across the country.”
Varsity Yearbook, a division of Varsity Spirit, is dedicated to providing schools with high-quality yearbooks, training, and support. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, Varsity Yearbook empowers schools to preserve and celebrate their unique memories and achievements while supporting their schools through each step of the yearbook journey.
This is a reminder that all PCPS buildings are closed on Fridays during the summer. Staff may be reached Monday through Friday during each building's normal summer hours.
Powhatan County Public Schools is retiring K-8 literacy materials because a new curriculum will be implemented in the fall. A wide range of books and educational materials will be available for free on 6/24 and 6/25/24 at Flat Rock and Pocahontas Elementary schools from 1 to 5 p.m.
Powhatan County Public Schools is hiring. We are looking for interested teachers in the areas of Secondary Art, Middle School Art, Middle School Band, Middle School Computer Technology, Middle School English, Middle School Math, Middle School Science, and Special Education (all levels). To learn more about becoming a valued member of our team, contact Human Resources at 804-598-5700 or visit the school division's website.
Travelers who passed by the Pocahontas Landmark Center on Sunday evening or today may have noticed the large tree in front next to Anderson Highway had a large part break off. Facilities staff will be evaluating the remaining parts of the tree to see if it can be saved. In the meantime, we wondered how many longtime residents, especially students and staff who attended the school through the decades, have any special memories of the tree?
The included black and white photograph shows the original school with the tree in front. The photo is courtesy of the Pocahontas School Yearbook of 1961 (“The Echo of 1961”). This was the first of only three yearbook that were published for the school (1961, ‘67, and ’69.) The yearbook was edited by the senior class. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Good morning and happy last day of school . Please remember that today is a half day, so secondary schools will be out by 10:45 a.m. and elementary schools by noon.
We hope all of our students and their families have a wonderful summer with at least a few learning opportunities thrown in there. Don't forget to have your students read and engage in fun activities like summer camps and Powhatan's awesome Summer Reading Program.
Please join us in thanking all of our teachers and staff for another wonderful school year!
And if your child is attending PCPS next year and will be riding the school bus, you must opt in to school bus service by filling out the Google form we will share in the comment section.
